Frequently Asked Questions

Adoptive Family Questions

What can we do now, even though we’re scheduled for a rotation or deployment coming up soon?

We encourage our military families to complete their application online, regardless of deployment or rotation schedules. Lifetime’s free application allows you to work with an adoption coordinator to assist you further in your planning. Your coordinator can get to know you better, provide information, and tailor the steps you’ll take to the timing you’re working with as a service member.

Military families are able to complete the online application and a phone conference, as well as receive our contract packet (if approved for the program), without making any obligations to Lifetime. We will help you determine if you should begin taking active steps toward adopting now, or if you should remain in the planning phase until a future date.

We are eager to assist you with your exploration and planning, and have had great success for our military families.

Do birth moms choose military families?

Yes! Military families have had great success with Lifetime Adoption! We have a can-do attitude about assisting our military families!

We have observed that military families typically display many characteristics that birth moms are commonly seeking in adoptive parents. Many birth moms love to see patriotic values, integrity, work ethic, diversity in community, stability of income, quality medical care, and many other common traits found in military families.

As an adoption professional, we’ve observed that overwhelmingly, military families have been able to follow the steps of our program, have great communication as spouses and with us, and display a high-level of adoption readiness. Just like with military service, the call could come at any time, and military families have a lifestyle of being, “at the ready,” just as we do here at Lifetime Adoption. These characteristics have greatly contributed to the success of Lifetime’s military families.

How can we have open adoption if we move every three years, and might be stationed overseas?

Open adoption is an agreement to keep in touch throughout the years. You can send letters & photos through the internet, text, or by mail. If the birth mom is selecting adoptive parents who are open to seeing her for visits as the years go by, you can still make your best efforts to be available to her. You can set up a lunch date or play date while you’re stateside visiting friends and family. You can also substitute a phone call or video chat during times when travel isn’t possible.

Remember, birth moms are responsible for their own travel in open adoption. She will know when choosing you that you are a military family, and may be stationed elsewhere over the years. We’ve not seen this be a deterrent for birth moms.

What if I have to deploy during the adoption process?

Lifetime instituted the “hold” option many years ago, to make accommodations for our military families during the First Gulf War. You are not required to place your program on hold because of a deployment, exercise, TDY, or other military duties, it is simply an option Lifetime offers.

Married couples can continue to pursue a successful adoption in the midst of military obligations. We recommend that our military spouses have a Power of Attorney, which will enable them to proceed with the adoption process if a placement occurs while the service member is away on military duty.

What if we get chosen for a “Drop In the Lap”, and we're stationed overseas?

When you begin your program at Lifetime, discuss your travel concerns with your primary coordinator. Share with her the amount of time it would take you to travel from your location back to the U.S.

We can still consider you for sudden adoption opportunities (or Drop In the Laps), as long as you’re able to arrive within the time needed for that particular adoption opportunity!

Some birth moms may plan a last-minute adoption, or have time constraints that give Lifetime mere hours or only one or two days to have a family physically present with the baby. We consider travel time when determining which adoptive family is a fit for these adoptions.

If you’re stationed overseas, we do not require you to be open for Drop In the Lap adoptions. Just let us know in advance that you want to be excluded from these adoption opportunities. All families living stateside are required to be open for Drop In the Lap adoptions. We will make exceptions for military families who are stationed overseas.

What if we rotate in the middle of our adoption process?

Rotation plans should be shared with Lifetime as soon as possible, so we can guide you through any steps that pertain to your adoption process.

If you’ve not yet completed your adoption, and you’re moving to a different state, you will need to complete a new home study.

A move that is still within the bounds of the original home study provider (within the same state or county), will likely only require an update to include a new home inspection and updated information in your home study report.

Different states have different home study requirements, and if you’re moving to a different state, please be prepared to begin a new home study at the new location. For this reason, we will talk with you about the projected timing of your rotation, prior to beginning the program together. Most military families can count on remaining at a duty station for a certain amount of time. We also understand and respect that where and when you move isn’t in your control, and the needs of the military always prevail.

If you have more questions, we would be happy to answer them. Please call us at (530) 271-1740.

Birth Parent Questions

How can I know that my baby will be safe with an adoptive couple?

All of the hopeful adoptive military families that you see on our site have been fully screened and pre-qualified. Before they can adopt, a licensed social worker conducts an in-depth home study evaluation. The social worker visits the adoptive family in their home and interviews them to make sure they’re fit to be parents.

The adoptive couple also undergo medical evaluations, background checks, financial reporting, and FBI screening. These evaluations will show that your baby will join a loving and safe family environment.

What is "open adoption"?

With open adoption, you’re able to choose the adoptive family for your baby, instead of an adoption agency choosing for you. And, you can decide how much you want to stay in contact after the adoption. Some women receive updates on their child from emails, letters, and photos from the adoptive family. Other birth mothers visit with the adoptive family in person each year. The amount of contact you have in the future is up to you and the adoptive family you pick. Open adoption gives you a variety of options!

How much will this cost?

There is no cost to make an adoption plan for your baby or child. The adoptive parents you select can help with your medical bills not covered by insurance, legal fees, reasonable pregnancy-related expenses, and counseling fees.

How soon can I choose an adoptive family?

Lots of women have turned to USA Adoption to find an active-duty military couple for their baby. You can start looking at military adoptive parents on this website right now if you’d like. Or, you can ask USA Adoption to mail you adoptive family profiles. Their profiles have more details, photos, and information than what’s on our site.

We can start the matching process as quickly as you’d like. You’re able to email the adoptive family or speak with them on the phone, whichever you’re more comfortable with.

Once you’re around 16 to 20 weeks along, you can officially match with an adoptive family. At USA Adoption, we want to be sure you’re able to make an informed decision about your child’s future. Let us help you design your custom adoption plan!

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